Bad Math and Halloween decisions

I was re-pinning a sugar cookie pin on Pinterest and thought to myself, I really need to bake more sugar cookies so I can use all the 100 cookie cutter shapes I have... Brilliant! But reality knocked on my mental door and gave me some hated math:

Sugar cookies + Tafra + no restraint = Additional 5 pounds on hips/stomach per batch

I hate math!

My baby girl is now 15 months old, I am about 26 weeks pregnant and I still find myself wondering how all of this could be real. I had to overcome my first Halloween dilemma—I didn't dress M up when she was three months old—which boiled down to, how do we, who profess to know Christ, participate in a pagan holiday with our little girl while still holding to our beliefs?
I debated this for the month leading up to it. My husband grew up trick or treating, I did not. Yes, unbelievable as it may sound, I never trick or treated as a kid. My parents took my to the church fall festival and I got candy, but I never dressed up, never went up and down our streets asking for candy.
And really, I don't think I was better off or any worse than the kids that did.
So, at first I was going to do the same: What's good for the goose is good for the gander. After a discussion with my mother (Would you change your mind and let me? She said yes.), I was torn. I still didn't think it was that big of a deal. In the end, with a few rules (1. Costumes will never, ever be gruesome or violent, 2. There will be no trick or treating past age 12), we dressed the M Bug up and she went out with her cousins to collect candy.

AJ, CJ, M, and HJ (both girls were lady bugs!)

I also want to share this opinion piece from Focus on the Family's Jim Daly, because he sums up  how I feel about Halloween.
Thanksgiving, on the other hand, I'm looking forward to! My MOPS group had a speaker in to discuss traditions, and because my family is relatively tradition-less, share some of your traditions with me. I'm going to compile and pick a few I like to implement for my family this year. Thanks for your help!
 

November?!?

I've been using things off Pinterest a lot lately, and I decided to share my recent results 1. Because I haven't found the time to blog lately and 2. Because if you try it, at least you may not get the crazy results I did!
First, here's my ice cream cone cupcakes:

There were no actual directions (I'm a big fan of directions! Surprised? Probably not.) For my trial run, since I'm going to make these for a bake sale, was to just use plain ol' Betty Crocker cake mix, and I poured it into my cones at various heights to see where I needed to be. Clearly, my cones runneth over!
After this, I did find a Pinterest post that said to put the cones upside down over the cupcake batter, and though I might try that, I'm not really sure how they would bake well? If you've done this, comment and tell me how you did it!
Next was the Halloween popcorn, which was entirely unnecessary but cute so I made a fifth trip to Walmart to grab candy melts, and gave it a shot.

I'm not a food photographer, so I'm sorry this image is from my iPhone and just plain sucks, but the popcorn actually turned out fairly well! I ditched it at my sister-in-law's house (thanks Gwen!) because I had already eaten quite a bit. Popcorn may be a good snack by itself, but add some candy and candy corn, and it stops being a healthy snack.

People keep asking me if my little M has noticed my belly or understands she'll have a brother yet, and the short answer is: No. She may pick up on the belly the farther along I get, but even though we tell her she's going to have a baby brother, concepts are not quite something she grasps yet.
Others are also quite interested to hear how I plan to deal with the jealousy: One day at a time! The idea of having two children and dealing with what may or may not happen with M is something that I can't quite grasp, just like I couldn't grasp what it would be like with a first child until she actually arrived (Thank you Jesus for equipping me with the skills I didn't know I had to be a mom!)
The only way to look at it is, one day at a time! I want M to know she's loved every day of her life, and I'll do what it takes for her to understand that when her baby brother arrives (who is unnamed as of now). It's the best I can do as a parent!

You know you're a parent when: crayons pop up in unexpected places, like the bathroom tub!

Yes I'm showing! or, yes, I'm showing...

I'm pushing toward 21 weeks pregnant now. There have been two responses that are driving me crazy:
1. "Oh, you couldn't tell it." This from an older gentleman at my part-time job who I don't see often. He's a nice guy, really, but I want to punch him in the face. Because at this point in my pregnancy, telling me that I don't look pregnant sounds to me like "You are really fat."
2. "Oh, you look great, you're glowing." This one maybe doesn't drive me crazy but since I feel like I look like crap and I definitely don't feel like I'm glowing, it makes me a little nuts. It's easy to respond with a "Thanks!" but when you're walking around, constantly hiking up the belly band and adjusting your jeans, "great" is not an adjective you'd use to describe yourself.

It's only logical that this pregnancy would be different. I didn't show with Baby M until I was about 6 months along, and my belly popped out at 16 weeks with this little one {a BOY!}. I didn't even post a "belly pic" until I was 28 weeks!
I'm going to get real here: This does not excite me. I would be much more satisfied if my belly was displaying the adorable roundness that other (thinner) moms display so freakishly.
The reality is the only reason my belly is popping out is the extra pregnancy pounds I never lost from M and probably added on to those extra pounds that I had before I was pregnant, ever. Bah, humbug.
My dear friend said to me at one point during my first pregnancy that I was the only one she knew who was worried about weight gain during pregnancy. Well, let me put it this way: Those L-Bs don't come off easy and I knew/know that should the weight I gain be the right amount, shedding it shouldn't be difficult. Shut up already, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" e-mails!
Who really wants to chow down on spinach and carrots, every. single. day.?!
So to get back that feeling of "great", I have to primp. I choose to wear cute shoes or lipstick or something that makes me feel like some random person who fleetingly looks at me in Costco isn't looking because they're trying to figure out if I'm pregnant or well rounded (ha). Yes, I am wearing a bright shade of pink on my lips, thank you very much! Bright, isn't it?! feels nicer than Stop looking at me because you can't figure it out! At least ask if you're that interested!
Because I know we all have these moments while pregnant.  

...

Right?

Here's my get-the-heck-over-it pic. I never feel more 17 than when I'm snapping my own picture in a mirror. Which happens never. Except today.

Hot showers, after noon...

I got to take a hot shower today! And when I mean "hot," I mean, "almost-scalding-your-skin" hot, which I only get to do when there's not a toddler in the shower with me.
Why am I telling you this, you might ask? Well, I'm really just rejoicing in the fact that I was actually able to shower without my munchkin, because she was sleeping. The timing on my showers is clearly imperfect, because I should always plan them this way!
Today, it was even before 12 a.m.! That's an accomplishment, too, although it's embarrassing to admit it. Mommys all know that showering in the morning while baby is between 0 to 6 months of age can be impossible; over six months, and it starts happening more... At almost 15 months, shouldn't I have it figured out by now?
I'm only that motivated on days that I have to be somewhere early, and if I can schedule it, it'll happen later. There's just so much more to get done in the morning now that M is getting older! Making sure she eats and is clean while trying to get some work (housework, work-from-home work) done sometimes (a lot of times) pushes showers to after noon, maybe an hour or two before I have to leave the house for the part time job I have.
On the other hand, am I the only mom who has a problem with showering, only to spend the morning cleaning the kitchen and downstairs bathroom? Gross! Why get clean if I'm only going to get dirty cleaning? (Hello, oxymoron.)
Usually by the time I'm done cleaning anything, my hands are so dry from multiple washings and various chemicals that I need to bathe them in petroleum jelly to get the moisture back. (I'm okay with this, on principle—I at least know there are no bacteria or germs in my kitchen until the next meal is made. Go on, try finding a germ.)

Generic vs. Brand, or when to be cheap

What's your preference, generic or brand? Does it matter on the product? Here's my lists.

Baby products
Baby powder: Brand. Johnson's Baby powder smells better, enough said.
Baby shampoo: Generic. Parent's Choice or the Target generic works just as well.
Baby bottom ointment: This one is a brand vs. brand for me, and Desitin is just plain stinky and hard to get off your fingers, and Boudreaux's Baby Butt Paste (click the link and laugh at the site address!) doesn't reek and wipes off easier. Winner!
Diapers: I can't really argue here because I've had M in Huggies since I ran out of baby shower gift diapers and the hospital Pampers. They've been the same price as Costco generics, and I like them. No contest here.
Lotion: I'm totally undecided here. Johnson's smells nice but generic lotion isn't bad either.
Wipes: Generic. I buy them in bulk and they're big enough that I can rip them in half to use less of them. (Yes, I actually do that.)
Baby lotion: Generic. Unless you're attached to the smell of Johnson's, it's all the same. Plus, the hubby won't whine that he smells like a girl after putting lotion on baby.
Baby formula (if necessary): Generic. We bought Similac at first but when Costco's Kirkland brand is a full $12 less, it made more sense. I dare you to find one difference between M and a kid on Enfamil or Similac (or breast milk). I will add: I tried Gerber's formula and was incredibly displeased with it, so that's a "don't buy" for me.
Baby food: This one's tough; all I ever bought as far as stage foods was Gerber or Beechnut, and M didn't display any preferences or dislikes. So save the money and buy what's cheap.

Groceries
Peanut butter: JIF! Every time and for always. Does anyone actually consider any alternatives?!
Jelly: Generic. Smuckers is good and all, but Walmart's generic is decent. Caveat: Target's generic sucks!
Bread: I wish I could buy generic, but I go brand. It's just better.
Pasta: Generic. I really like Walmart's wheat noodles.
Spaghetti sauce:  I buy Hunt's, which is cheaper than the the store brand most of the time. It's also not too bad to eat.
Cheese: Generic. I think it'd be tough to find a difference between brand and generic here!
Butter: Stick butter—generic. Fake butter—Country Crock!
Flour/sugar: Generic! Another one that's hard to tell the difference.
Soup: If it's a cooking soup, generic. If it's for lunch, I like Progresso.

Mmm, banana bread. The only way I eat bananas.

So what's your list? Share it with me! What can't you live without and what gets put in the cheap list? 

An open letter to pregnancy heartburn

Dear pregnancy-induced heartburn,
You've made your appearance much sooner than I expected. In fact, most definitely would find your arrival at around three months pregnant as far too soon in advance; could you have at least sent a notice? I needed time to clean the house, or in this case, stock my cabinet with antacids.
I thought I'd have more time to enjoy the spicy foods that I love at all other stages of life (mainly, the not-pregnant ones) because you didn't show up with Baby No. 1 until seven months. Might I remind you I'm only barely four months along?
And who do you think you are, to show up even if I eat small, frequent meals with plenty of water and snacking? Do you regularly defy medical wisdom or is this just a "pregnant girl" thing?
Since I'm resigned to your arrival and it seems you'll be sticking around, I guess the only thing I'd like to make clear is that you are not welcome to stay post Baby No. 2. No offense.
Without love,
Tafra

I have these by my bed, in my purse, upstairs, downstairs, anywhere I go...

We made it through the night!

It's funny to write that title after M has been sleeping through the night since six months old, but of course I mean I made it through the night without her!
What was quite a revelation was how enjoyable a night out at a fancy restaurant without a baby could be (wow, did I ever take that for granted before the baby came along!). I've never been to the Melting Pot, so it was a fun new experience to sit down and eat a meal over the course of several hours.
I didn't call, I didn't stress. I knew M would be fine with her Grandma, I knew Grandma would call if something was terribly wrong. Hubby and I didn't even get home until almost 11, so it would've been absurd to go get her.
Plus, I think once I got a taste of that sans-child feeling, I enjoyed it. I love my baby, of course. There's no question! But an evening of being an adult was enjoyable.
Hubby told me to enjoy the night, to sleep in and not worry about the baby, but once the evening out was over, I was ready to have my baby back.
Sleeping in is almost a cruel joke to me—our male (neutered!) cat yowls at random during the night if he's not outside, and I threw a pillow at him last night. Hubby left for work sometime around 6, which is decidedly late for him but was still terribly early, and after that, sleep was sketchy. I was up by 7:30, cleaning a bit, before I was in Stella (my Jeep, yes I name my cars!) and on my way to my girl.
Baby girl, of course, had done as fine as I expected. Fought her bedtime, as per the norm, but slept well and woke up well. When I arrived she wasn't even that excited to see me (Ms. Independent is always ready to kill Mommy's sense of appreciation) but she did shower me with kisses a few minutes later (redemption! Little bugger.)
So we made it through the night, we made it through our first night of separation. What's next? Maybe Mommy and Daddy will have to take a few days away before Baby No. 2 arrives...